Finding Home
by Filbert
Summary: Link and Zelda just want to have a future in the new world they are in. The fight with Calamity Ganon is over and all is right in Hyrule. Now the two need to find their place in the world as Knight and Queen or something more quaint. Cover by:TeLinkfan1
1. Reunion

**I do not own Zelda. Enjoy!**

 **Reunion**

They had done it. Calamity Ganon had been defeated and sealed away by the Princess and the Chosen Hero. The pair stood in the middle of Hyrule Field after fighting the beast Ganon had morphed into as a last effort to destroy their world. Link, the Chosen Hero, stood five paces away from his Princess, in his Champion Tunic. He had on his back the Master Sword, Hylian Shield, and Bow of Light. Princess Zelda stood with her back to her Hero in the white dress she went to confront Ganon in.

Link, protectorate of Princess Zelda, stood in awe of his Princess before him. As he started to kneel before her, she spoke.

"I've been keeping watch over you all this time... I've witnessed your struggles to return us as well as your trials in battle. I always thought- no, I always believed that you would find a way to defeat Ganon. I never lost faith in you over these many years..." the Princess Zelda said as she turned around, "Thank you, Link... The Hero of Hyrule. May I ask, do you really remember me?"

"I do, Princess," he responded.

She stood as a statue praying to the Goddess Hylia, that this was the end of their 100 year battle with the Calamity. The Hero worried for his Princess, for she had been the sole reason Calamity Ganon was locked in Hyrule Castle for the last century while he healed from near death. He called his horse over with a whistle and walked toward the Princess slowly. Before the Hero's horse arrived, he reached his Princess. Link knew his place as the Princess's Royal Guard, but after a century and the experiences they went through, he cared not for the past traditions at this moment.

He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed to let her know that he was there for her saying, "I…" unable to put into words how much he had missed her, "followed your voice."

As he took his hand off her shoulder, she quickly turned around and trapped him in a tight embrace. Link had never broken the rules, except in the few seconds before, but he felt that she needed this more than the rules from a previous lifetime. So he put his arms around her, even against every muscle in his body screaming at him not to.

"I know," Zelda whispered into the ear of her protector. Just as fast as she had embraced her Hero, she let go of him, remembering the rules set before her. " Oh my, I did not mean to be so brash," she let out quickly gaining her composure.

Link looked into her emerald eyes with his sapphire ones, then responded, "I am sure you needed that, Your Majesty."

Link, forgetting he called his horse to him, received a nudge on his shoulder from him. Zelda, seeing this, broke the trance she was in from looking at her Hero to looking at the horse. After looking the horse up and down, Zelda realized that this horse bore many resemblances to the horse that she had ridden once before. _This cannot be_ she thought to herself, then asked the Hero, "Is this the progeny of my very own horse from a century ago?"

Turning from soothing the horse, Link looked at his Princess and nodded in response. "I named him Storm," Link stated with a smile.

The Princess stood there watching her Hero bring Storm over to her, all the while, thinking of what other quests Link had embarked on to bring this kingdom, now her kingdom, closer to what it had been.

"We should set out to see our friends," the Princess said.

Link agreed that this was a good course of action to take, but then began to ponder on the logistics of traveling and then there was the problem of his Princess's dress.

Catching the tiniest hint of perplexity that came across her Hero's face, the Princess began to wonder the same things. She then thought about the castle and how it might still hold some of her belongings, and seeing as it wasn't but a two hour journey, decided going there would be the best course of action.

"We must visit the castle first, some of my old ridding gear could still be there," Princess Zelda said.

Link, stoic as ever, nodded in agreement. He then offered the royal reins Storm wore to his Princess.

Zelda told him, "Keep the reins and have Storm follow us, as I would like to walk."

Link uncharacteristically said, "No, Your Majesty. It is a two hour walk and I believe not eating in a century might have weakened you." Immediately the Hero felt as small as a grasshopper as his Princess stopped.

Zelda turned around and said, "Very well." Then she snatched the reins from Link and attempted to mount Storm. She suddenly realized that her Hero was correct in his assessment, as she fell to the ground while placing her foot in the first stirrup.

Link let out a sigh of relief as Zelda looked to him asking for help. The Knight helped his Princess mount the Stallion and they were off to the castle. The Princess on Storm and the Hero leading them.

1...2...3...4...

After reaching the castle, Link helped Zelda to the ground and whispered to Storm to stay put. Link followed behind Princess Zelda as she took in all the destruction that was not there before. The further the pair went the more somber Zelda became. She wondered that if she had worked harder that maybe she could have prevented the destruction of her home. The Hero sadly had no words to encourage her, so they trudged on further.

When Link and Zelda arrived at her room she scrambled to find proper clothing until she came across her blue tunic and trousers untouched in her large dresser. Link, taking that as a que, turned to walk of of the room to stand guard.

Noticing this, Zelda requested, "Wait... would you so kind as to stand guard inside the room?"

Link froze. He had never done such a thing and disgracing his Princess's privacy as such would violate his core training.

Zelda, noticing Link's hesitation, pleaded, "I don't want to be alone, especially here."

Thankfully the knight, unable to disobey a request from his Princess, nodded and proceeded to unsheathe the Master Sword and stand guard inside the room with his back to her, respecting her privacy. Although, Link thought it wrong to be in the same room with her while she changed, he couldn't help but feel the same way about being alone in the castle.

Once she was done changing, Zelda wold Link, "Let's go and see our friends'" with as much pep as she could muster.

As they left the castle and went to retrieve Storm, Link thought that staying in an inn nearby would be a good idea. Since the people of Hyrule hadn't seen their Princess in two generations, he thought they would be able to blend in.

Link, after helping Zelda onto storm started off towards the nearest inn, but the Princess stopped him.

"Do you not think we will reach our destination faster if we both ride Storm?" the Princess asked him.

Link looked bewildered at the prospect, not knowing how to answer. All of the traditions were telling that an appointed knight of the royal guard cannot be this intimate with the Princess. At the same time they were the only two left from the castle to know these traditions besides the few elders that are left. He finally let out, "But Princess, the traditions."

"Is there anyone around that will tell on you? Or is there a kingdom that will condemn you to death for such an action? I don't think anyone will think poorly of you for riding a horse with me. I doubt they will even remember me..." Zelda trailed off.

"In time they will remember you, Princess," Link said attempting to raise her spirits.

After reflection, Zelda piped up, "So, my Hero, will you ride with me?"

Link, a smile tugging at his lips, nodded and began to climb onto Storm. Once on, he coaxed the Stallion on and after a snort Storm began a trot to an inn.

Link had never felt so close to the Princess before, not because physically she had her arms around him and her chin on his shoulder, but on a deeper level. He felt like she had connected with him in a way that no one else could when she unlocked her powers. Almost as if it had broken down a wall between them that was raised by the time she spent resenting him.

Unbeknownst to the knight, Princess Zelda was analyzing the same thing in her head. _I used to hate him. He reminded me of what I needed to be, but was having so much trouble to become. I remember the legend, but there has to be more to it. My Father chose him as my Royal Guard, but the sword chose him._

 ** _Thank you for reading and reviewing!_**


	2. Emotions

**I do not own Zelda. Enjoy!**

 **Emotions**

As Link and Zelda approached the inn, Zelda noticed that the sun was low and that she was growing quite famished. She adored Link for thinking ahead and plotting a course to an inn where they could lodge and eat. She noticed how lively it looked with travelers around the cooking pot with a lit fire underneath, the shopkeeper inside the tent with his backpack that looked as it it were going to crush him under the weight, and the innkeeper that doubled as a stable hand.

Link stopped Storm and hopped off, then turned to help his Princess to the ground. Once down she took a look around while Link was arranging for another horse for the trip the next day and a bed to sleep in for the night. He finished his negotiations quickly and headed towards the cooking pot waving for Zelda to follow him. She followed him and watched as he cooked them both a meal in the cooking pot while listening to the travelers.

Zelda coming to her senses, asked a nearby traveler, "How has the kingdom fared?"

The traveler, partially taken aback by the broad question, answered honestly, "Well, there are many places the Hylians have made home, the castle has been abandoned for a long time, but I wouldn't know about the other races. Miss?"

Link, who had been casually listening gave a reassuring look to the Princess when she didn't know how to answer who she was. The Princess sighed, "Princess Zelda."

The traveler's eyes shot wide open upon realizing he was in the presence of royalty. Then he came to his senses thinking that this couldn't be there long lost Princess, but at the same time she took after all the pictures he had ever seen of her.

 _It has been so long, I wonder if they will even want me back..._ she thought to herself. Deciding it best to leave the traveler to his thoughts, she turned to Link who was finishing up their dinner.

Link thought some privacy for the Princess would be best so he packed up the dinner and led her to the nearby shine up on a hill. Link set a place for the Princess on the shrine and started to walk away to set a perimeter for standing guard as he used to a century ago.

Princess Zelda catching her Protector start to walk away, grabbing his arm, said, "Please stay and eat with me."

Link hesitated, it was against tradition for a Knight of the Royal Guard to be eating near royalty. He knew that everything she went through will be hard to overcome in the future, and everything he had done would be hard on him as well. He wanted nothing more than to be with his Princess at all times. She was his world, she would always be his world. _How I have dreamed of this..._ Link thought to himself not knowing if he could get himself to break down the internal barriers.

 _Oh, I am such a fool,_ the Princess thought, _I have just returned and I am requesting much of him._

Link finally spoke up, "Okay, Princess."

"Great," she said with a smile trying to reassure herself. Regaining her composure, she asked her Hero, "How are you holding up Link?" While then proceeding to nibble on her food, noticing how good of a cook he had become in his travels.

"I don't know how to feel," Link replied.

"How do you mean?" she asked again.

"I am conflicted. I have lost so many friends, but I still have you and my duty to protect you," the Protector said to his Princess not wanting to express his true feelings for her. He thought, _I can't tell her just yet._

"There is no more kingdom, and I doubt I am going to be able to bring it back just yet. There is no need for you to protect me like you once did," she tried telling him. She didn't want him to leave, he was her only friend and...

"I can't stop protecting you," he said pulling her from her thoughts.

With a concerned look on her face, she asked, "Why?"

"I don't want to," was his only reply.

They continued to eat in an awkward silence as the Princess did not know how to respond and the Knight having his own internal conflict for letting that out. He couldn't have the Princess, he was told from the start that it was forbidden for a Knight, especially from the Royal Guard, to become attached to the Princess. Something in him was pushing him to break the old rules and he was losing the fight. Link wanted the Princess, his only friend, to never leave him. The only way he knew to do that was to keep protecting her. They finished their meal in silence.

As Link started packing up, Zelda said, "I missed you."

Link froze. Again he did not how to respond, but an overwhelming amount of emotions flooded him all at once. He had never thought the Princess, his Princess, would ever miss him, especially the way she had treated him when he first swore an oath to her. He turned to her, "I missed you too," he replied as his cheek burnt a bright shade of red. Looking at her, he noticed the same thing on her cheeks.

Zelda looked at the setting sun to shake off the feeling of being nervous, taking in it's beautiful glow as it blanketed Hyrule in a warm orange. It had been too long since she could feel the sun on her face and she missed the way it felt.

Zelda couldn't help but feel her eyelids get heavier and heavier as her Knight packed up the small picnic he had graciously made up for her. She started to give into the embrace of sleep, when suddenly her Knight picked her up and started carrying her toward the inn. She noticed how bold he became from his travels, not caring she leaned her head against his chest and fell fast asleep in her Hero's strong arms.

Once in the inn, Link laid his Princess on the single bed he had rented out earlier. He covered her with the blankets, tucked her in and walked to the edge of the bed. He took his post at the foot of the bed, sitting cross-legged with his sword drawn in his lap. He got a few stares from the other travelers in the inn, but ignored them as his sole desire was to keep his Princess safe.

 **Thank you for reading and reviewing!**


	3. More than Friends

**PSA:** Since I am in a tough school I will not be able to upload all the time, but I will have plenty of time on the weekends to make up for what I can not get done on the weekdays. I started my fanfiction without a plan, but I have now set a plan for myself and this story. I will be releasing chapters weekly, every Saturday at whatever time I get it done. Thank you for your understanding and let's be on with the budding romance!

 **I do not own Zelda. Enjoy!**

 **More than Friends**

Zelda woke up to the early morning sun and some dew resting on the blankets as there was no door to the inn. She lifted herself onto her elbows and peered over the bed, seeing her Hero, dedicated to do his duty and protect her, sitting at the foot of the bed with the Master Sword drawn. She wondered if he had gotten much sleep, _if any at all_ , she mused. Smiling she started to get out of bed, which caused Link to stir.

Link, stiff from sitting on the ground all night, heard his Princess leaving her bed and began to rise as well. Sheathing his sword he asked his Princess, "Breakfast?"

Hearing the word made Zelda's stomach growl, so she replied, "That would be lovely," with a warm smile on her face and a hand on her belly.

Link set out to the cooking pot with determination. Upon arriving at the cooking pot, he pulled out a piece of flint and some kindling and lit a fire under the cooking pot. Link then

went to the traveling merchant and asked for his best store of food for the Princess. Satisfied, Link set out with a handful of fresh eggs, bread and salted ham to make the two of them for breakfast.

While Link was set on making breakfast for the two of them, Zelda took the short walk to the Sheikah shrine with the Sheikah slate. Zelda was perplexed that she was unable to use the Sheikah slate, yet Link, whom she had left it for, was able to do incredible things with it. He had used the slate in his daily travels, as she recalled from watching him, but it no longer frustrated her that she could not do the same. She was content with being here, alive, with her Hero.

She opened the camera function and took a picture of the castle with the sun just above allowing for a clear view of all the castle in its degraded state. Sighing she put the slate back in the pouch around her waist, which Link had kindly given back to her.

Link, looking for Zelda after completing their breakfast, found her standing at the shrine looking towards the castle. He took in the beauty of Zelda as the sun streaked through the air and laid perfectly onto her features as she stood there. Link had never been attracted to anyone, let alone have deeper feelings from friendship to something more. Though, he could not shake the desire he was having for something more with his Princess, Zelda. He chose to push those feelings aside, as his first duty was to protect her and he wanted nothing more than for her to be safe. _Becoming too close could cause more issues than the ones I faced with Calamity Ganon,_ he thought.

Link started walking to the place Zelda had picked for their breakfast, and set up a blanket with all of the food on two plates before them.

"You are too kind to me," Zelda said noticing Link set up a delicious breakfast for her.

"I always liked to treat you," Link responded, as a slight tint of red tried to break past his stoic barrier and somewhat succeeding.

Zelda looked away and said, "Even with the way I treated you?"

"Especially then," Link said, with a grin tugging at the corner of his lips.

Zelda sighed, she did not think she deserved the way Link treated her. He went out of his way to make her have as many of the luxuries a Princess would have when there still was a kingdom. She could not thank him enough for all that he did, and was doing for her and all of Hyrule. Knight Link, Hero of Hyrule, Protector of the Princess, was becoming her rock, maybe even her new home.

They both sat down and ate their breakfast that was remarkably still warm, while watching the sun rise. Link noticed that the Princess was gaining color from the food and sleep she was receiving, he snuck some stamina elixir in their breakfast so she would fare well on the journey to come. He was happy to see her looking more lively after her century long fight with Calamity Ganon.

Once the two finished eat, Link started to pack up all the equipment, when Princess Zelda started to help clean up as well. This made Link freeze and ask her, "Why are you helping?"

Knowing that he might ask such a question, Zelda gave the response she had prepared. Taking his hands away from his work and held them in her own, and looking into his eyes said, "I find it hard for me to let you take care of me at this point in our lives. I was born into a royal family, you have done tremendous things to save the Kingdom of Hyrule from certain doom. We are both blessed with the mark of the goddess." Pulling the glove off of Link's hand, she and Link looked at the marks next to each other before she continued, "Right now, I see us as equals."

Link did not know what to say. He felt a fire deep within himself burning so hot he might melt on the spot. All he wanted was for his Princess to be safe, and she wanted them to be equals, something he did not dare dream about. Of course he would agree with her, but he wanted to know what extent she would push the boundaries. They had already broken every rule in that he was taught, but this was something entirely different. Setting aside his reservations he thought to himself, _I will do this for her_.

"Alright, Princess," was all Link could muster.

"You can call me Zelda from now on," she said trying to relax him.

They let go of each other, and while Link was replacing his gloves, Zelda continued cleaning up from their breakfast. Once finished packing up, they turned to leave the shrine and walked back to the inn for their horses side by side.

Link loaded up their two horses, Storm and Links own Epona. He remembered when he first tamed Epona, she was the most wild horse out of any he had ever ridden, as far as he could remember. She gave him a good thrashing, bucking him off more than once, but once he did tame her, he could not think of a better name. She was his noble steed for the majority of his adventure until he found Storm. At the time he was on his way to conquer Vah Medoh, when he overheard some travelers at an inn he was staying at, talking about a Stallion that must have been related to Princess Zelda's. He needed a reminder of her, so he went on the search and found the horse. After taming Storm, he traveled with him from then on as a reminder that he could still save his Princess.

Link and Zelda had agreed that they would travel to Zora's Domain to express their condolences for the loss of Mipha, the Zora champion and King Dorephan's daughter. Once their horses were fully equipped for the expedition, they set out on the long journey ahead of them.

1...2...3...4...

The journey took them three days on horseback as Link did not know if the Sheika slate could transport two, and was reluctant to try with his Princess. Once they had arrived, Zelda marveled at how well preserved Zora's Domain was, considering the war. She knew they had a strong military force, but so did the Kingdom of Hyrule before Calamity Ganon had come to take over their world.

It had been some time since Link was last at Zora's Domain, so he took in the beauty of it himself once more. Stopping at the statue of Mipha, he looked into her eyes and heard her voice, _Princess Zelda has been waiting a century for you to save her, don't let me hold you from being with her._

Zelda who was also looking at the statue, noticed a tear come to Link's eye. She asked him, "You miss her, don't you?"

"She was my closest friend before the war," was all Link could say.

Before Zelda could comfort him, Prince Sidon saw the two and started running over. "Link! Princess Zelda! I'm glad you two are okay. I knew you could pull it off Link!" he said with the biggest grin on his face and a fist punch through the air after arriving.

"It is nice to see you Prince Sidon," Zelda said greeting him with a heartwarming smile.

Link shifted his attention to Prince Sidon for a second, nodding his acknowledgment.

"You two need to come see my father, I am sure he will be excited to see the both of you," Sidon suggested, turning to lead them to the King.

"Of course," Zelda replied, taking Link's arm and pulling him away from his returned trance on the statue. She needed him there for support as she knew this was to be a painful experience for herself and possibly even the king.

Once they arrived in the throne room, Princess Zelda cautiously approached the King of Zora's Domain with Link at her side. She opened up with, "It has been a long time King Dorephan, and I see your kingdom has prospered in the time during the war. I wish I could say the same for the Hylian Kingdom."

"We have only prospered because we were not the main focus of our foe, young Princess Zelda," King Dorephan responded. "It is the Hylians' sacrifice that has allowed all of the Zora, Gerudo, Goron and Rito to survive and prosper. As well as the struggles in taming the divine beasts the Hero Link at your side has endured. The Zora are indebted to your kingdom and your Hero."

"Thank you, Kind Dorephan, that means a lot coming from you," Zelda started. Struggling to gather the words for Mipha's departure from their world, but then Link unexpectedly spoke up.

"Mipha was with me until the end of my fight with Calamity Ganon, watching over me and healing me when I was close to death," Link put in, while all eyes turned to him. "She was a valiant fighter in the war with Ganon and did not give in. I am sad to say, we lost a dear friend, but her sacrifice was not in vain."

Tears welling in Zelda's eyes, she turned back to the king adding, "I... absolutely agree, we lost a dear friend."

"I agree, the people have lost a dear friend, and I, my only daughter. I am glad to know she was with you until the end. Knowing her sacrifice was not in vain brings joy to me, and I am sure the Zora people will see it the same," King Dorephan remarked.

The rest of the conversation between the Princess and the King was them discussing the effects the war had on the Zora people. Princess Zelda was delighted to hear that Vah Ruta did not cause too many issues, thanks to her Hero Link, and monsters outside of the border did not encroach on the Domain due to their military. Princess Zelda requested a single room, knowing Link would not take one of his own, for their stay in Zora's Domain. Link and Zelda bid their farewell to King Dorephan for the time being, and thanked him for the room.

Link and Zelda went to unpack their horses and settle into their room for the next week. Their plan was to spend a week in each province to see how the people fared and also campaign for support in rebuilding the past agreement each province had before Calamity Ganon. Link and Zelda easily gained the trust and support back from King Dorephan, thus insuring support from the Zora. So the two took their week in Zora's Domain as a week to relax.

While Link and Zelda walked back to Storm and Epona, Zelda asked Link, "What got into you in front of the King? I have never heard you talk like that before."

"I said what needed to be said," Link replied.

Not believing his response, Zelda pressed, "There was more to it though, wasn't there?"

Link only stiffened and his strides became more deliberate on their way to the horses.

"Link," Zelda said, grabbing his arm and stopping him. She tried to look into his eyes, but his shoulders slumped and he was looking at the ground. She continued, "You can tell me anything, I do not bite."

"I know," Link said shuffling his feet around, obviously uncomfortable.

Zelda frowned, "So, what is it that holds you back from telling me?"

"I do not want to make you uncomfortable," Link let out with a sigh.

"Nothing you can say will make me uneasy," Zelda reassured him.

Reluctantly, Link gave in, "Mipha... spoke to me while we were admiring her statue. I was inspired to say that because of her."

Zelda, a touch surprised, said, "I think she misses you the most Link, which is why I believe she communicated with you. You two were very close... sometimes I was jealous by your connection with her, but then I thought of how much you two deserved each other."

"She was my best friend," Link said letting a tear trickle down his cheek, breaking the stoic armor he put up in front of others. He wanted to tell her what she had said, but he wasn't fully ready to let go and Zelda wasn't ready for anything more than a friend. At least that is what he thought.

Zelda, seeing her only friend in pain, decided to bring him in for a hug which he reciprocated. She whispered to him, "I am here for you, always."

"Thank you," was all the Hero could muster in between the soft sobs and body shaking body. Link had not cried like this since, well he didn't know when the last time was. He had been there for the Princess, as he recalled, in one of their last hours together from before, but now he needed her. All of the dammed up emotions from losing on that last day came flooding through in this moment. He remembered all his friends, Daruk, the Goron champion, Urbosa, the Gerudo champion, Revali, the Rito champion, and last but not least, Mipha, the Zora champion. Losing them still weighed heavily on him, but he knew letting it out now would help later on, so he wept in Zelda's arms for what felt like hours.

Zelda held him close, stroking his blonde hair and softly humming an ancient lullaby to him while he cried. Her friend needed him, just like she needed him all that time ago when they were losing to Ganon. When his sobbing became all but a soft whimper she finally eased up on her grasp, but he just pulled her in tighter.

"Please, do not ever leave me," Link pleaded with her.

"I would not dare leave my best friend," Zelda vowed to him.

Letting each other go, Link cleared his face of tears while Zelda straightened her traveler garb.

"Are you ready to relax now?" Zelda asked her friend.

Link gave a nod in response and they were off to unpack their belongings.

1...2...3...4...

Once Link and Zelda had settled into their room, the two decided to go for a walk around Zora's Domain to admire all of the architecture. While walking the perimeter, Prince Sidon caught up with them and began, "Thank you for what you said about my sister."

"It was our pleasure," Zelda responded.

"She will truly be missed," Link chipped in.

"I know, Link," Sidon said, "I know you two were close. You know, I am pretty sure she was going to marry you, now that I think about it."

Zelda crossed her arms and looked at a blushing Link, but as serious as she was trying to be, she could not contain her laughter. Bursting out in a fit of giggles, both the Prince and the Knight shifted their gazes to Zelda, who was now on her knees with her hands around her stomach laughing uncontrollably.

"It's not that funny," Link said with slight indignation.

Prince Sidon couldn't help it either, he too fell prey to a fit of giggles.

Link, not knowing what else to do, shrugged it off and waited for them to stop laughing. Once the Prince and Princess gained their composure, the trio set off on a walk around the area. They talked for hours, catching up on what had happened in the Domain since they had last seen Prince Sidon.

When it was time for Link and Zelda to turn in, Sidon bid them farewell and Link and Zelda fell down onto the couch in their room with a loud huff.

"That was pleasant," remarked Zelda.

"Yes, it was," agreed Link who was pulling off his combat gear and setting propping it next to the couch. He then laid back into the couch, adjusting to become more comfortable.

Zelda shifted to lean on Link and he happily put his arm around her to allow more comfort for his Princess. They sat there, looking back onto their eventful day. They had arrived early so that they could accomplish a lot on the first day, which worked out in their favor. The two now had the better part of a week to rest and relax after their long fought victory.

"What do you want to do tomorrow?" Zelda asked Link.

"I had not thought about it," Link tiredly responded as he had not slept in, well he did not remember the last time he went to sleep.

Zelda suggested, "How about we have another picnic at the shrine, like we did before we got here?"

"That sounds wonderful," Link said feeling the warm darkness pull him to sleep.

Zelda feeling the same pull attempted to say, "Then it's... a..." but fell asleep before she could finish.

The pair fell asleep on the couch, Link flat on the couch as Zelda lay up against him with her head on his chest. They were lucky the Zora have a larger frame compared to Hylians, because if the couch were any smaller, one of them would surely have fallen off.

1...2...3...4...

Link woke up early in the morning, about a quarter after five in the morning by the position of the sun, which he could barely see through the window on the opposite side of the room. He quickly realized the position he was in with the Princess lying on him still fast asleep and that made his heart skip a beat. _Did we fall asleep like this?_ he thought to himself. Seeing how placid his Princess was, Link decided to let her sleep and let his head fall back onto the couch leaving him to his thoughts.

 _I wonder if Zelda will feel uncomfortable about this. She is usually very understanding about these kinds of things, but this is a little closer than I ever thought we would be. I enjoy this though, having my Princess, my closest friend, Zelda close to me makes me feel like I am with Mipha again. I wish I remembered more than just the feelings that I have for the individuals I have few memories of. Having these feelings with no background is hard. I remember Zelda the best, the time I swore my allegiance to her, the journeys we used to go on, the time she was mad at me, the time she apologized to me, the time she cried in my arms, but most of all I remember the times I would protect her. Especially the time I practically died for her. The feelings I feel for her are driven by more than just an oath. The experiences we share are what bring us closer, but the soul inside of me is what draws me to have those experiences with her. There is more to it... Almost like I used to love her..._ Link thought as he waited for Zelda to wake up.

Link thought about many things in the few hours he spent waiting for his Princess to wake up, but mostly of the realization that he was in love with Zelda. He came to the conclusion that it was best to keep it to himself, seeing as he did not know it she felt the same, or if she ever would. He would just have to hope that one day he could reveal his feelings to her.

Around eight in the morning Zelda finally stirred from her sleep. Opening her eyes, she saw the bed, but curiously she was not in it, and the familiar blue tunic of her Hero against her face. At the same time she noticed the quiet murmur of what sound like a heartbeat in her right ear. She finally came to the realization that she fell asleep atop Link, and lifting her head up slightly only confirmed that thought when she saw his smiling face looking back at her.

"Good morning, my Princess," Link greeted her.

"Good morning," Zelda croaked. _Apparently sleeping on someone is not good for your voice_ , she concluded. "How long have you been up?" she inquired, as she put her head back down on his chest to listen to his soothing heartbeat.

"A few hours, I did not want to disturb you so I just laid here thinking," Link answered.

"Care to share your thoughts?" Zelda requested.

Link's heart started to beat slightly faster. Hoping Zelda would not notice, he responded, "Just about how I have feelings for people I have very few memories of."

Zelda knew he wasn't giving the full story as she could feel him tense up, which was not at all unpleasurable for her as she could even better feel the muscles that made up his body. It made her heart race. "I can tell you are not telling me the full truth Link," Zelda pressed.

Link only slightly gave in, "I was thinking about you."

"What about me?" Zelda asked.

Link's heart started to pound out of his chest, he was backed against a wall and he couldn't just deflect a few blows and make a quick move to get out like he would in battle. He was stuck, so he told her the truth, "I was thinking about why I am drawn to protect you and how I cannot leave your side without feeling like I am not whole." Link struggled to let out the rest, "I think... I think I have feelings for you."

Zelda knew he was attached to him by the hip, but she did not realize he had feelings for her. She thought it was just her who felt the draw that pulled the two together and he was the one who was there as their duty. _Although this would make a lot a of sense, c_ ollecting her thoughts, Zelda responded, "Link, I have feelings for you as well."

"Really?" Link asked, perplexed and ecstatic at her response.

"Yes, I believe we are drawn to each other by more than just our predetermined fate of confronting Calamity Ganon. I believe that we have done this more than once and that our souls are two parts of one whole that have been stuck in an eternal conflict with the horrors that we stopped four days ago. I believe we always fall in love with each other after we succeed in our task... and I find myself willing to do it all over again, because I'll have you, my other half," Zelda professed.

Zelda lifted herself up and came face to face with Link and only inches away from his face, looked deep into his crystal blue eyes. She gave into the deep draw towards him, and leaned in to plant a kiss on his lips.

They were on fire with the emotions of thousands of previous lives they had lived and loved in. Link felt the soft lips of his ancient lover he knew deep within, while Zelda felt the arms of her ancient lover wrap around her and pull her in. The feeling of being so close made them want to do things with each other that would make wenches blush and strong men fall to their knees.

When they pulled apart for air, they noticed the compromising position they were in. Link laying on the couch face up, while Zelda straddled his waist looking down upon him. Zelda put her hands on Link's chest and Link let his slide to her waist. They stayed in that position, admiring each others' features and dreaming of what they wanted to do next.

Finally deciding to break the trance they were in, Zelda slid off Link and got up to start getting ready for the day. She headed to the bathroom to freshen up for the day while Link grabbed his Master Sword, Hylian Shield and Great Eagle bow. Link was adjusting the straps that his equipment clung to when he heard a knock at the door. He instinctively went to his sword, but decided otherwise as he realized that they were in a safe place.

When Link opened the door, Prince Sidon greeted him, "Good morning sleepy heads! You guys must have been exhausted if you needed to stay in this late."

"Yeah, we kind of were," Link said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, the past is the past, now how about breakfast?" Prince Sidon asked.

This time it was the Princess who answered as she walked out of the bathroom, "Why, that would be splendid."

"I'll go and make preparations then," Sidon said before he turned to leave.

Link shut the door and turned to see his Princess inches away from him, she then said, "Do not think I have forgotten the date you promised me last night." She then gave him a peck on the cheek and grabbing his hand, dragged him out the door.

 **Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	4. Ancient Feelings

**I do not own Zelda. Enjoy!**

 **Ancient Feelings**

Link and Zelda arrived in one of the Zora's few dining areas that Prince Sidon had shown them the previous day. Seeing he was there, they set themselves down near the middle of the table side by side. The table was set with a mixture of dishes of Hylian and Zora origin for their breakfast. Prince Sidon set himself across from them in one of the large chairs that were obviously meant for Zora like himself.

"I hope you two enjoy the breakfast I had prepared for us," the Prince started.

Zelda responded, "It looks delicious, Sidon. You really didn't have to go to all this effort for us, but I greatly appreciate it"

"I as well," Link chirped in.

"This is nothing really, it is the least I can do for you two," Sidon tried to reassure them.

"We appreciate the sentiment, Sidon," Zelda said.

"Well, do not hold back. Dig in!" the Prince urged them on.

Without further delay, the three of them dug into the breakfast, the Princess taking two eggs, an ounce of steak, and two slices of toast. Link loaded his plate with double what Zelda took and on top of it a few slices of ham. Prince Sidon had fish and some plants from underwater neither one of the two Hylians had ever seen.

When they finished eating Prince Sidon looked at Link with his eyes as wide as they could go. "Link, how did you eat all that?" the Prince asked him.

"Sidon, I have been asking him that question since I met him. While he would eat away from me, I would sometimes catch a glance at what he had to eat and then in a few moments it would all be gone," Zelda told him.

"I do not have many opportunities to eat..." Link stated with a gloomy look.

"Well you can slow down now, there is no threat at the moment," Sidon tried.

"Old habits die hard," Link said with a slight smile at the corner of his lips.

"We will fix that," Zelda said looking to him with her emerald eyes showing resolve. They all had a good laugh at that.

"So what are your plans for the day?" asked Sidon.

Link was the first to speak up, "Well, I am also going to need a favor from you Sidon. At some point and time I would also like to practice my swordsmanship. Lastly, the lovely Princess and I have a date."

"Looks like you have a busy day Link, what about you Princess?" Sidon asked.

Zelda, surprised that Link had planned, responded with, "I had not really planned ahead as Link has, but I am sure he will not mind if I tag along on his adventures for the day. Would you Link?"

"Not at all," Link confirmed.

"In that case, what will you be needing my help with Link?" Sidon asked.

Deciding not to explain it, rather to just do it, Link asked, "Zelda, may I have the Sheika Slate?"

"Of course," Zelda said handing him the slate. "Why do you need it, exactly?"

"You will see," Link said. He then proceeded to walk around the table and hold his hand out to Sidon, requesting, "Would you kindly take my hand."

With that, Prince Sidon stood up and took Link's hand.

Link had never tried teleporting two people with the Sheika Slate and he did not want to risk his Princess's life, especially now. Thus he decided to use Prince Sidon for his experiment as he thought the Prince would find it kind of fun. Link picked the shrine Dagah Keek for their transport it was not too far away and would keep Sidon close to home in case anything went badly. The pair started to become covered in blue strands and were then in an instant being transported piece by piece to the Shrine. The were then reassembled at the shrine piece, by blue piece. To Link's surprise, they were placed on the Shrine pedestal the same orientation they were standing in before they were transported.

The Prince stumbled to the ground as he was regaining his bearing. Link may have forgot to mention that and began scratching at the back of his head as if there was something there he needed to rid himself of. "Sorry for the sudden shift in atmosphere..." Link uttered.

"That. Was. Amazing!" Prince Sidon started excitedly. "Is that how you travel all the time? No wonder you magically show up in Zora's Domain all the time. How many shrines are there? Can you transport to all of them? How does this technology work and how can I get my hands on it?"

"Whoa," Link cut him off before he could continue, "I can answer those questions later, but that was all I needed. We can go back, please take my hand again."

Prince Sidon took Link's hand with an eagerness he did not have before. He apparently liked this kind of travel, which baffled Link, but that was mostly due to his lack of sensitivity to it. The two were then teleported to the Ne'ez Yohma Shrine under the thrown room and again the Prince fell to his knees, but with a bigger smile on his face. Link however, was caught in the stone cold gaze of Princess Zelda. He knew she might be upset with him, but he did not know that she would be this upset; he prepared for the onslaught anyway.

"Where did you go? Why not take me? We could have done that this whole time?" Zelda steamed, walking towards him. When she was right in front of him she gave him a tight hug and whispered, "I was worried." She then pulled away and hit him in the shoulder, "Do not do that again."

"Yes, my Princess," Link automatically responded with a slight head bow.

"So you can transport two people with the slate it seems," Zelda concluded.

Prince Sidon got to his feet and began, "That was amazing! Princess, you are going to have a lot of fun doing that."

"Oh, will we?" Zelda said suggestively. Taking the plate, she looked for where she wanted to go and successfully finding it she wrapped her arms around Link and pressed teleport. They were then teleported to the Central Tower and when they arrived Zelda's legs gave out from the disorientation, but Link caught her. Link picked her up and walked her over to the edge of the tower overlooking the Castle. He placed her down two paces from the edge itself, as he did not want her to accidentally fall.

He then sat down next to the awestruck Princess and wondered aloud, "Why this tower?"

"Huh?" Zelda said breaking herself away from her gaze, "Oh, well... I wanted to see what you saw on your adventures."

Link, not fully believing her, gave Zelda a look that said he knew she was hiding something.

"All right, I give up. I wanted you all to myself and I saw a perfect opportunity," she let out.

Link chucked, and smiled looking into her emerald eyes. He leaned in and kissed her and they melted into each others' arms. They again were on fire with the passion from their thousands of past lifetimes, feeling the sparks fly between them all over again. The lust they had for each other went beyond their own comprehension, yet they felt it and wanted nothing more than to give into that feeling. Though, Link knowing when to draw the line, and did just that as he pulled away and smiled at the Princess.

"So, what was your plan after we got up here?" Link asked.

"I did not think this far ahead," Zelda admitted.

Link thought for a second, _Why don't we just sit up here and enjoy ourselves? I can tell her of my adventures, though she already knows all of them, I am sure she would like to hear my perspective. Or I could ask her about her struggle with Calamity Ganon..._

"How did you fight Ganon?" Link asked.

"That... that was not a fun fight." Zelda said almost wincing at the memory.

Link's heart went out to her; he had done many things that were not enjoyable. He remembered the few nights he sat next to a campfire pulling arrows out of his body and patching himself up. But before he could say anything to comfort her, she spoke up again.

"At first, I did not know how to wield my power. I was almost defenseless, but the power within me does not only act as a sealing power. It also shields me from darkness." Zelda continued, "I learned a lot of ways to use my powers when I was sealed away with the Calamity. I am sad to see my powers have disappeared, but I cannot help but be happy at the same time because it means we did it and that our struggle is over."

Zelda paused to gather her thoughts, then continued, "During my fight with Calamity Ganon I mostly prayed to the goddess Hylia and watched you as you healed in the Shrine of Resurrection. Although, I did learn to shoot beams of light and create shields around me to protect against attacks. It was not very often that I had to actually fight, so my skills with my powers are not the best."

Link listened to Zelda with genuine interest, he did not know what happened to her in the century he was asleep, and now he was learning all of the painful details.

"Most of the time Ganon and I would be in a stand off, I would be kneeling, praying to the Goddess and he would be in the shape of a dark orb floating above the ground, which I assume was facing me. Sometimes he would send out shadows of people I knew, of friends... of loved ones..." Zelda speech becoming more pained as she went on.

Link tried to comfort her, "You do not have to go on if it too hard."

"No, you deserve to know, I know about all of your adventures, thus it is only fair," Zelda said with her drive again. "At first I would not fight the shadows, instead choosing to run away and hide until they left me alone. This strategy worked until Ganon sent the shadow of... you... after me. He would not give up even after I would hide from him for a long time. It was almost as if he was a separate entity altogether with one drive, to kill me. After what seemed like years of hiding from him, I confronted the shadow and fought it. It was not a fun fight, but I bested the dark you... it however did not feel like a victory and I let my hold of Ganon slip a little which caused a lot of corruption to be released into the world. After that, Ganon stopped sending shadows and for the rest of my time sealed away with Ganon in the castle I prayed and waited for your return."

"I'm sorry I took so long," Link said looking down to the floor of the tower.

Zelda placed her hand under his chin to lift his head up saying, "It was not your fault. We are here, alive and together, nothing will be between us now."

Link smiled at the thought, but deep down he worried that it would not be that easy for them. The two of them have so much left to do to bring the Kingdom to its former glory, and he is still just a Royal Guard. _How am I going to be with her if I am not royalty?_ he thought.

Link asked worriedly, "Do you promise?"

"Promise what exactly?" Zelda asked to clarify.

"Do you promise to not leave me?" Link asked.

"I do. Do you?" Zelda asked.

"I will never leave your side unless absolutely necessary," Link stated firmly as if he were being knighted again.

Zelda giggled, "You are too formal sometimes Link. Learn to let go a little, you need not be so up tight with me. We are... well we are more than friends for sure."

"Yes, I... I always liked the thought of being with you. I did not allow myself to indulge in the idea very often, but when I did, it made me smile. That is part of the reason I fought so hard to protect you and even almost died because I wanted, no needed, you to be safe. I would do anything to keep you safe," Link said with a small smile.

Zelda felt her emotions bringing tears to her eyes, but that did not stop her from all but tackling Link and planting a kiss on his lips. She did not, could not, lose this young man she was falling in love with.

He was all she wanted and all she would ever want. She was all he wanted and all he needed.

The two stayed at the tower for hours, cuddling with intermittent kissing now and then, but mostly they wanted to just be in the moment with each other. The feelings they had for each other were something neither one of them could fully comprehend, but they accepted that. They only needed to understand each other.

1...2...3...4...

The duo spent their whole morning at the shrine and only went back to Zora's Domain to gather picnicking items. They explained to the Prince that they just needed some personal time away from society to decompress together, and he picked up on the discrete hint. They picked the Dagah Keek shrine close to the waterfall as their picnic spot, which was far enough away from the Domain that they had some privacy, but closer than the Central Tower.

Once they arrived at the shrine, Link unpacked from his bag a blanket and laid it out, then a set of trays of food out in the center of the blanket. Zelda unpacked from her bag the dishes they were going to use for their food as well as the silverware, and set them on the blanket. Once they were all done setting up their places, they sat down and started to dig into their food assortment.

"Link, you have become a really good cook," Zelda said after they finished their meals, hers being tiny comparatively to the Knight's own.

Link, surprised by her comment, responded, "During my training as a knight they only taught me how to make meals on the go which were not very good, but on my adventures I took it upon myself to better my own cooking as even I couldn't stand what I was making myself half the time."

"I really am glad you did," Zelda said. "As I myself, do not know how to cook. You will have to teach me one day."

"My dear Princess, I would love to," Link said with a wink.

Blushing, Zelda smiled.

Link gave her a quick kiss and moved to the open part of the grassy area to practice his swordsmanship for the rest of their time out. While Link was practicing, Zelda sat at the shrine nibbling on a small slice of cake and watching Link dance around the field. This was how the two of them would relax when they had the chance from before Calamity Ganon. Typically Zelda would just go over her research for the day, not paying attention to Link, but things have changed. _Things have changed a lot lately, maybe now would be a good time to ask Link to teach me how to fight._ Zelda thought to herself.

"Link," Zelda called out to him placing the cake aside.

Link stopped mid swing and came to face the Princess in a guardian stance. Feet shoulder width apart, sword point down and into the ground, and both hands on the hilt of the weapon. In this stance Link was ready for any oncoming attack, as it provided both balance and fast reaction speed. Link however, was not ready for what his Princess was about to ask of him.

"Would you teach me how to fight?" Zelda asked the knight.

Going back to a nervous habit of his, Link started to rub the back of his neck thinking, _This could either be a disaster or the best idea she's ever had._

Link hesitantly asked her, "What would you like to learn?"

"I would like to learn the skill of archery," Zelda responded.

 _Easy_ , Link thought. He sheathed his sword, replacing it with his Great Eagle bow, since the Bow of Light returned to where it had come from. Link then motioned for Zelda to stand next to him which she complied with almost instantly.

"Watch my movements closely, and take notes of my form," Link said to her as he put himself in a proper archer stance. He then nocked an arrow, drew the string back and let the arrow fly through the air and hit the mountain. The arrow dug deep into the mountain and he proceeded to repeat the process three more times, placing the arrows close enough to each other that the feathers touched.

"Form is key when wielding a bow. The better your form, the better your accuracy, the deadlier you will be. You do not need strength to pin an arrow to any surface, besides metal, the bow will do the work for you when you pull the string back. Now you try," he said, handing Zelda the bow.

Zelda took the bow and did her best to do as Link had instructed her, but replicating the perfect form he seemed to have was near impossible. She noticed how the bow did not feel heavy even though it looked quite cumbersome as well as the balance it seemed to have when sitting in her hand. She aimed the bow at the mountain at the same spot Link had been aiming when he shot his four arrows.

Link examined her form from bottom to top, _Feet slightly too close together and feet not pointed outward enough, bow tilted a few degrees too far forward, eyes fixed on the wrong point, and her hair... That could be an issue, might need to braid it,_ he thought to himself while he circled her. _Very good form for someone who has never touched a bow, only minor things that need attention so far. With the exception of the hair I can fix everything here._ He then adjusted the minor issues she had with her form, noticing that she held the corrected form. Lastly, Link positioned himself behind her so he could look down the sights of the bow and see what she could see. Realizing how close they were made both of them blush, and Zelda smiled, but Link kept going on with his instructions.

"You must look at the arrowhead and the target in the distance to aim. The battlefield to an archer is link a canvas to an artist, you must know what you are painting before you can start to paint a picture. An archer must know their surroundings before they are able to be a deadly weapon. You must practice to be able to know how far away sometime is and whether you can hit it. Once you can do that, I will let you carry your own bow," Link said.

Zelda was surprised by how much Link told her as he was never the one to go on and on about the details of something. _I guess it is par for the course when talking with him about what he knows by heart,_ she thought. She started to digest the rest of the information when she was pulled back to reality by Link carefully wrapping his quiver around her waist.

Link made the quiver himself out of a soft leather, embroidered with a Sheika symbol, held together by a gray belt and a metal cup fastened to the bottom to keep the arrowheads from ripping a hole in the leather. The gray belt attached to one of the multiple straps that Link wore on a daily basis to hold all of his gear, but today would fasten to a strap around Princess Zelda.

"Be careful with the quiver, it does not always play nice with my arrows," Link said giving Zelda a few more pointers before she started, "focus on your breathing and take your time. We are not trying to save the world anymore so enjoy this." Link gave her a kiss on the cheek and stepped away to allow her to start training.

Zelda pulled an arrow out of the quiver, noticing that Link was not kidding about the quiver not playing nice with the arrows as the arrowhead drug against the leather. She notched the arrow and pulled the string back feeling the tightness and held it at her fullest extension. She let go of the string allowing the arrow to fly through the air. The arrowhead lodged itself into the stone deeply but not nearly as deep as Link's few arrows. The arrow also hit a foot away from the cluster that Link had put into the wall and where she was aiming. She repeated the process and with every arrow her aim progressively became better until the quiver was empty.

At that point Link started walking to the wall and motioned her to come with him. Once they were in front of the scattered arrows, they began to pull them out, leaving the arrows Link had shot as a target for Zelda to shoot at. Once all of the arrows Zelda had shot were recovered and put into the quiver, she returned to the spot she had been firing from. Link also returned to his spot, but instead of watching her he began practicing with the Master Sword.

The duo continued on with their tasks for hours, Zelda sometimes breaking from shooting to ask Link a question about form or style. He would answer and she would return to shooting satisfied with the answers she would get. She only had to call upon Link once to help her remove an arrow from the wall as it was almost as deep as the ones he shot.

When Zelda became exhausted from practicing, she asked Link, "Shall we turn in for the day?"

"I would not mind that," Link responded.

The two packed up the picnic they had set out earlier in the day, and link took his bow and quiver back from his Princess. Link slung the bag of gear over his shoulder and offered his arm to Zelda who happily interlocked her arm with his. The two walked back to their room in Zora's Domain thinking about the wonderful day they had together. The next few days were going to be boring compared to they last few they had, but they were thankful that the King allowed them to relax.

Once Link and Zelda returned to their room, Link set down the bag of gear down and started to unstrap all of the harnesses that held up his weapons. Once he had everything undone, Link placed his small arsenal up against the wall next to the door. He noticed that Zelda was already in bed falling asleep above the blankets that made up the elaborate bedspread. He walked over and began to tuck his Princess in, smiling and thinking the whole time, _She is too cute_. He started to walk away to grab his sword, but Zelda grabbed his hand and pulled him towards her.

"Please stay with me tonight," Zelda said.

"Okay," Link whispered, gripping her hand back.

Link sat down next to her and hoped that nothing malicious would enter as he only had a dagger strapped in his boot which he only used for emergencies. He remembered the times he would be pinned down in battle by multiple enemies and would take out his dagger for a quick strike on an enemy to open up a hole in their offensive. Tonight, the dagger would have to be enough in the case of an attack, as unlikely as it was, he was still slightly uneasy. Link tried to relax and laid down next to Zelda to help calm him. She instinctively curled up next to him as they both fell to their dreams.

 **Thank you for reading and reviewing!**

 **Those I cannot PM from reviews, but I still wanted to address:**

 **Kersplunk : Thank you for the support! I am enjoying writing this story of mine.**

 **Ba Dum Tiss : I know what you mean, but since Nintendo has only come out with a few hints towards the timeline, such as it being after Ocarina of Time and in the most recent age, I made some of my own assumptions. If they come out with a proper timeline, I will be sure to revise my story to follow proper lore, but for all we know at this point and time, Breath of the Wild takes place millions of years after the events in Ocarina of Time. Or it takes place only ten thousand years after the end of Ocarina of Time. Also the many items and easter eggs of previous games hints at the possibility of the time split being put back together into one timeline after all of the events that happen in each. Just food for thought though.**


	5. The Future

**PSA: So I do not think I can keep the schedule that I first set up for myself since school has become a lot harder in the past few weeks. I will do my best to upload at least semi-weekly, but at this point in time I will be lucky to do that. I am sorry to all of those who Like this story and want more of that addicting ZeLink action, but I have an obligation. Thank you for understanding and please enjoy this next chapter in Link and Zelda's adventure!**

 **I do not own Zelda. Enjoy!**

 **The Future**

Link brushed up against a large stone to hide and gather his bearings for a few seconds. _In, two, three, out, two, three,_ he thought as he saw an opening in the enemy's defenses. Link charged the beast at three quarters a full sprint, catching it off guard and jumping, sliced it across the arm with a plunging attack. The white-maned lynel stuttered back after dropping its sword, which Link again took advantage of by letting off a flurry of slices in quick succession on its body. Link's Master Sword dug deep with each strike, but the lynel had a strong resolve. The lynel partially recovered from the first strike, threw a backwards punch at the knight in retaliation, but Link's skills and speed outmatched the lynel's, and it struck its own side. As Link rolled away and recovered his footing with a strong stance, he noticed Zelda above the two partially hiding, partially watching them. He smiled and went in for another attack as the lynel picked up its weapon off the ground.

Zelda was trying to be sneaky as they fought, but she could not help but watch her Link fight the beast. She had seen him take down many lynels before, but never quite so easily and with as much grace as he was putting into this fight. _It seems he learned to fight better during his adventure to save Hyrule,_ she thought. _He definitely is not being as aggressive as he was when I was his only concern, almost as if he learned to see more openings that are presented in battle._ As the fight became more and more clear that it was one sided as Link chipped away at the lynel, Zelda went back to hiding on her rock.

Zelda pulled out the Knight's bow that Link let her hold on their walks out of the small towns and inns they visited, as he did not want her to be completely defenseless and she was showing promise in the past few weeks of training. She also tightened the straps that held the quiver that she made a few days prior. The quiver was made of leather and was held together by a metal cup at the bottom and a metal ring sewn in at the top. The seam was sown together and reinforced by the strap that ran down the seam and wrapped around her shoulder, down her chest and finally around the left side of her midsection. The strap itself looked like a belt as it had a belt buckle that faced outward on her chest which was used to readjust for comfort. The quiver held roughly thirty normal arrows and a total of five of each other type of arrow for specific situations. The quiver, unlike Link's Sheika Eye Symbol, was embroidered with a picture of a Silent Princess flower.

She sat in thought about the last few weeks of their travels. They had not used the Sheika slate to travel much as they wanted to enjoy their journey together and not rush anything. They left Zora's Domain about four weeks ago, traveling to the Goron in Death Mountain to talk to their leadership. The Gorons were hesitant at first to help out the Princess and Hero in their duty to rebuild the kingdom, but after a few days of negotiations, they settled. The Gorons would be able to set up a small community outside of the Castle to sell their goods and travel to when they wanted. In return the Gorons would lend their physical capabilities in rebuilding the Castle.

The duo visited the Rito next which was uneventful except for the fact that the Rito took the longest to convince to aid in their struggle. The Rito did not see a point in helping the two, but after the good word from Teba and the offer of the use of all the towers that were raised throughout the land as checkpoints for travel changed their mind. The Rito would be allowed to build platforms on the towers to allow the Rito a place to stay and rest for a few days at a time during a long journey and in return they would keep a watchful eye for the Castle. This would allow the Castle to always be on alert for any incoming attacks as Zelda was unsure if the successful defeat of Calamity Ganon would be the end to all their problems.

Zelda and Link were on their way to the Gerudo Desert on horseback when they were ambushed by the white-maned lynel. Link was already springing into action by jumping up into the air and drawing his bow, before she saw what was coming. Epona who was well trained, ran off to Storm and forced him and Zelda away from the oncoming danger. Both horses picked up speed as they ran the other direction of Link and the lynel, but Zelda brought Storm to a halt and dismounted, and after she left the saddle, Storm bolted to catch up with Epona. Zelda went to hide behind a rock, but ended up climbing it to see what Link and the lynel were doing.

As Zelda thought about what had transpired, she was wrenched away from her thoughts when she heard a loud thud in what she assumed was the lynel hitting the ground. She looked over the rock to confirm, but instead saw Link sliding down the side of the rock she was behind and a second lynel next to the battle scarred one. She assumed that Link was hit up against the rock by the second lynel and instinctively drew her bow. She pulled an ancient arrow out of her quiver and notched it pulling the string. Zelda let the arrow fly and it struck the wounded lynel in the chest making it evaporate into thin air, which the second lynel took notice of.

Link came to seconds after hitting the ground to see the first lynel disappear before his very eyes with familiar shimmer of an ancient arrow striking. The second lynel then started charging and gathering his composure grabbed his sword while rolling out of the way. The lynel hit the rock in the place where Link had been making the rock explode into pieces, which then sent Zelda flying through the air. Zelda landed in the grass far away from the rock that had just exploded, and lay in the grass not moving. Link, seeing this, felt his heart drop, but he immediately started running over to his Princess to put himself in between the lynel and her. _I will not lose her... Ever_ he thought as he sprinted.

The lynel drew its bow, picked an arrow and notched it back, aiming at the girl. The lynel let the arrow go, but instead of it striking its target, the arrow found the shield of the boy that was thrown to the side. The electricity from the arrow pulses through the metal shield and into the Hero's body, but he did not drop his weapons or feel the electricity. Link was set on keeping his Princess safe from the danger that presented itself, and he would not stop until it was gone.

Link locked eyes with the lynel, he had the rage of lover in his eyes, and the lynel had the rage of blood lust in its eyes. The two charged each other at a full sprint, Link jumped and plunged his sword towards the lynel, the lynel stopped and put its shield up to block Link. The sword struck the shield and the shield broke in half, and continuing on the path the sword was set on, struck the lynel's arm. The strike dug deep and made the lynel stumble back from pain, while also yelling in agony. Link landed and took the opportunity to viciously let out a flurry of successive strikes on the lynels chest leaving no recourse. The lynel fell to its knees, defeated, but that didn't stop Link from letting out all the pain that was welling in his heart on the lynel. He kept slicing the beast over and over until it finally disappeared into a dark purple smoke.

Link collected himself and put away his weapons. He then made a full sprint to where the Princess lie on the ground unconscious, ignoring the pain that was developing all over his body from the fight. His first thought and priority was to protect Zelda, and he failed to do that when he was ambushed by the second lynel. The only thing he could do now was hope, and when he arrived he felt overwhelmingly relived as he saw Zelda breathing. She was still unconscious, but alive which was better than his fears seconds ago.

Link whistled for his horses, and as they started towards him, he picked up Zelda to get her onto a horse. He placed her on Epona, as he knew Epona was calmer than Storm and would not be too rough and throw Zelda off. Link mounted Storm, grabbed the reins, and started a trot towards the closest inn, with Epona carrying Zelda in tow.

1...2...3...4...

Zelda awoke later the next day in a comfy bed and Link sitting next to her asleep, holding onto her hand. _I wonder how long I have been out,_ she thought as she noticed the throbbing pain in her head, _I must have hit the ground really hard._

"Link," she croaked.

Link awoke with a start, but was happy to see that it was Zelda who had called his name. "Yes Zelda?" he responded.

"What happened?" she asked.

"What do you remember?" he asked.

Zelda thought hard, and then told him, "I remember seeing the lynel charge, then I turned around and started to slide down the rock I was on to get away. Then the rock exploded behind me and I think something hit me in the head because I do not remember anything after that."

"I would agree with that, but after the lynel hit the rock you went flying and hit the ground about thirty feet from where the rock was," Link explained to her. "Once I saw that, I was sent into a red haze and the next thing I knew the beast was turned into a cloud of smoke. I then ran over to you to make sure you were okay... I'm sorry I let this happen."

Zelda squeezed his hand to reassure him, and said, "It is not your fault." She lifted herself up to a sitting position and pulled Link into a hug.

He hugged her back, which made him feel better. Though, he was still mad at himself for not paying attention to his surroundings which led to the ambush from the second lynel. They pulled away from their hug, but instead of sitting back down into his chair, Link planted a kiss on Zelda's lips.

As they parted, he whispered, "I am glad you are okay."

"I am glad you are okay! It sounded like you hit that rock hard," Zelda retorted.

"Well, I am not the one to try and feel like a bird by flying off an exploding rock," he shot back.

Zelda's jaw dropped at that and she playfully punched him. Link feigned pain by falling onto the bed over top of her legs with a contorted face and a gasp, halfway pinning her to the mattress.

"You really are a piece of work sometimes," she started on him."You are so..."

Link stopped her before she could continue by sitting up and planting another kiss on her lips.

"...Irritable," she whispered as they parted.

"I suppose I am," Link said as he laid back down on the bed, this time with his head on the pillow and body next to Zelda's. Link still felt terrible about the previous day and his failure to protect his Princess, but the moment made his pain go away, even if it was only temporarily.

Zelda laid back down and pushed her arms around Link's chest so she could be as close to him as possible. They enjoyed the personal time they had together mostly by talking, cuddling, or kissing for hours at a time. The two were inseparable and even when they were in public they did not hold back from showing their affection for each other. They were so madly in love without acknowledging it themselves, yet everyone around them could see it and were happy for the two Hero's.

The two knew their fight for Hyrule was not over until they reunited the land, but they took comfort in each other when the opportunity arose. Zelda's job as a diplomat was difficult and tiring from all the long talks she had with the diplomats of other races. Link's job started to extend from just being the Princess's guard to being a diplomat as well, which taxed him beyond his limits sometimes. Link was never meant to be a talkative person, and he only opened up to his closest friends, but their task forced him to play the role. Zelda silent thanked him for it and made as many attempts as possible to make it up to him by doing the things he wanted in their free time whenever he would chose. Most of the time, however, his will was hers which she adored.

Zelda's stomach growled silently, prompting her to ask Link, "Shall we prepare breakfast?"

"My dear Zelda, it would not be breakfast, for it is past noon," Link responded.

"Well, it is breakfast to me," she retorted.

"Very well, breakfast it is," Link agreed.

1...2...3...4...

The two enjoyed their breakfast at the nearby shrine as they normally did, and when they were done they stayed and cuddled for a while thinking about what to do next. The two were sitting side by side on the edge of the shrine's entrance platform, Link had his arm draped around Zelda's shoulder and Zelda's head rest on Link's shoulder. Zelda, in this deceivingly comfortable position, thought to herself, _My head is still throbbing from the hit and I noticed Link has a limb and grunts every time he sits or I squeeze him too hard. He is too stubborn for his own good so he will never admit to something bothering him, but I can convince him to stay here for a while for my head. We should probably change our plans for where to go next after the Gerudo anyway and this would be a prime opportunity._

Link tore Zelda from her thoughts when he said to her, "We should stay here and rest for a few days. I do not know how bad you were hurt and I do not want to push you past your limits."

"I was thinking the same thing, only about you..." Zelda confessed.

"I am alright, sweetheart," Link remarked with a smile.

"How about when I do this?" Zelda said as she wrapped her arms around Link to squeeze his torso.

Link grunted, proving her point and responded, "Alright, you caught me, I am just as hurt as you are."

"I thought so, now I believe we should plan for what we are going to do after we finish our negotiations at Gerudo Town," Zelda vocalized.

Link thought for second, _We should probably go see Impa first, but after that I can take her to my house, or more likely our house._

"I have an idea," Link said.

"What is your idea, my Hero?" Zelda asked.

"After our visit to Gerudo Town, we can head to Kakariko Village and see Impa for the first time in a while. After that I thought we could relax in Hateno Village after our long journey," Link said. "Hateno Village has been my home away from home since I started this journey and I would very much like it if we could relax there."

"I like that idea," Zelda responded giving Link a soft hug and slowly pulling him to a laying position, being mindful of his hurt form.

Link let Zelda pull him down and then whispered, "I thought you would."

Zelda just smiled and held onto him as they lay there under the morning sun cuddling with the love of her life. Zelda did not want to tell Link that she was in love with him because she wanted to hear him say it first. She knew he felt the same way she did for him, which meant she knew he loved her too. When she thought about it, deep down she always knew Link loved her, whether it be as his closest friend or his first sweetheart. She did not always feel the same way however, at one point in time she wanted nothing to do with him, but now she understood why that could not be so. It was destiny that put them together and kept them close to one another. It was their duty, together, to defeat the evil that has plagued the land for millennia, and once that was accomplished, it was their hearts that would not let them go their separate ways. Their connection was a longstanding relationship that transcended past their physical forms and into their spirits.

"So what do you want to do while we rest here?" Zelda asked.

Link thought for a second before he responded, then said, "There are ruins of a town that once was behind us and there are some open areas for us to practice with weapons, although I am not sure you will want me to do that."

"You would be correct," Zelda said.

"Then we can take long walks around the area and enjoy the presence of one another," Link continued.

 _There are things I would like to discuss privately with him,_ Zelda thought to herself.

Zelda smiled at her own thoughts and spoke up, "I would really enjoy that."

"Just like you enjoy cuddling?" Link teased.

"Probably not, but maybe a close second," Zelda retorted.

Link and Zelda lay in the warm morning sun on the shrine with their feet dangling off the edge and bodies tied together by their tangled arms. Link and Zelda stayed at the shrine until mid day, and at that point decided to take the walk they wanted. They packed up their mess from earlier and Link decided to leave all of his weapons except his sword so that he would not be burdened by the weight.

Link had grown considerably in the time since his awakening, considering it had taken him quite a few months to complete his objective of defeating Calamity Ganon. Link now stood three inches taller than Zelda and his muscles were growing bigger and well toned. Link was worried that he would outgrow his current tunic, but the fabric seemed to change just as much as he did. Even though he was becoming stronger by the day he did not enjoy carrying all of his equipment everywhere he went. He remembered the times when he first started out on his journey and how he had to stop often to rest overnight because of his exhaustion. Over time he did grow and developed the ability to stay out longer, sometimes overnight without more than a few hours of rest. At his physical capability now, he could stay out with his full set of gear for more than a few weeks without stopping at an inn.

Zelda also noticed these changes in her Hero. When she had first seen him, she did not recognize the face even though it was the same one. He had stood in front of her, blood on his face trickling down from various places, _'His own blood'_ she had thought. He had been taller, filled out in all of the places that mattered, and his tunic tightly grasping his body, almost as if it had known Link was fighting. He had the Master Sword on his back and interestingly enough he had also carried the Hylian Shield. The memory of him in this state after the battle was burned into her brain almost like it was yesterday and it scared her that it almost happened again two days prior.

Once the two were done getting ready for their stroll around the area, Link offered Zelda his arm and she happily interlocked hers with his. The two set off on a slow pace on the northern trail so that they could see the castle.

Zelda knew all of the things she wanted to ask Link, but wanted to start at the bottom of her list as to not taint the atmosphere. "What do you plan to do when we rebuild the castle?" she started with.

"My plan is to do as you want me to and spend my days with you, my assumption, however, is that I will be rebuilding Hyrule's army and I believe there is no one better to do so. Which is why I was going to offer to do so when the time comes," Link responded.

Shocked that he had thought so far ahead, as well as being able to pinpoint exactly what she was planning, she almost tripped. "You have caught me quite off guard, Link. I did not know you thought into your future like that, but of course you are right in your assumption."

Link said, "I had a lot of time by fires healing my wounds to think about my future with you."

"I am flattered," Zelda responded with her cheeks flaring bright red. "Why do you want to spend such a long time in Hateno Village?"

"Well, that was going to be a secret revealed when we got there, but I suppose since you asked I might as well tell you. I own a house there, and I wanted to show you as well as spend some time there before I have to leave to rebuild the kingdom," Link answered.

Zelda, a little surprised by the fact that Link bought his own home, now had another question, "When, and why did you buy this home?"

"I bought it because I needed a place to store all of my excess gear and somewhere I could call home for the times I was wounded badly," Link stated. "Sometimes I needed a place for more than a week and I did not like spending hundreds of rupees for an extended stay at the inns around Hyrule. There are many reasons to why I bought the house, but those are the main ones. As to when, it was about two months after I woke up."

"I was unaware of this, even though I could watch you, sometimes there was something blocking the connection between us. I believe that might have been Ganon coupled with your grave wounds you suffered at times," Zelda said.

They both walked silently lost in their thoughts until Zelda spoke up again.

"How are you holding up Link?" Zelda asked.

"In what way?" Link asked Zelda.

"How are you so calm all the time? Holding yourself together after what you went through? I can't sleep without you by my side because I am afraid of my own dreams and what lurks in my own head. Yet, you seem to have it all together all the time," Zelda confessed.

"I..." Link collected himself, "I have you by my side and that makes all of that go away." Link stopped walking, turned to her and took a breath before letting his emotions flow, "I am a Royal Guard of the Hylian Army. I am sworn to protect you at all costs, even at the sake of my own life, and I am willing to do just that. I almost did give my life for you, but you saved me."

Link stopped and looked towards the castle before continuing, "Do you remember the day that we first saw each other?"

"I do," Zelda whispered.

"I know. I felt something the day I walked into the Castle for my tour of the grounds. It was only a day after I had signed up for the Royal Guard. I stepped past the gate and looked up towards one of the many walkways, and I saw the most beautiful girl ever. Our eyes met and I knew it was going to be my duty to protect you one day. From that day forth I worked the hardest I possibly could and honed my skill almost to perfection." Link said.

"I remember that day too, but instead of feeling good, I felt the sadness of all the people of Hyrule. I knew that you would be my appointed knight as well, but every time I thought about it, I knew it was because the prophecies were going to come true," Zelda said.

Link turned back to look at Zelda, seeing her somber face, Link pulled her in for a hug. "I am sorry this happened to us, but at the same time I am glad that it did, because that means I can be with you. It is all over now, and I know that things are not looking good yet, but we are on the track to rebuilding our kingdom. I will be here with you every step of the way," Link whispered in her ear.

Link pushed away and got down on one knee in the manner of being appointed a knight, then said, "Zelda, I am your Knight, I am your Hero, I am your Protector, I am what you need me to be." Link paused then stood up and grabbed her hands, "You are my Princess, You are my Shining Light, You are my One and Only, You are everything I need."

Link continued with a solid voice, "Will you marry me?"

 **P.S. Just in case you guys have dirty minds, I am not referring to the two having sex at all. I know it seems like it, but I want them to go through the process of marriage before anything too spicy happens. Think of their relationship more as something traditional, because that is the way I am trying to portray both of them. I want them to have a lot of lust for each other, but they are both able to control themselves.**


End file.
